Merrick's Marvels

IF we can play attractive front foot football against WBA and Leicester - and IF we can be consistent and replicate that in the remaining 7 games after that - the results against WBA and Leicester won't matter - because that sort of form would be good enough to see us win most, if not all, of those final 7 games - and finish the season on a high. Here's hoping!

Anyone thinking we're already safe must be crackers.

Big Sam there celebrating too. Pints of wine and brown envelopes all round! Normal service resumes today with another Mullins yawnfest.

If only Tinnion and the owners found his mere presence as threatening as they found Pearson's.

A Coach who doesn't engage with what makes a club tick and what makes its fans tick, will get the same in return.

Agreed, there would be extra cost in paying him up and finding a replacement. Personally, I think the extra cost is worth it! Option 1 - Keep him at a cost of X and in return get 10 games of him, probably involving a couple of calamitous cock ups, some eye-catching passes and not much else. Wow. Option 2 - Get rid and find a replacement at a cost of X + Y but in return get (god willing) 30+ appearances and no calamitous cock ups. Yes please. Whatever X + Y would equate to has to be financially sensible, of course. But we are in a decent place regarding FFP right now. And as we're running a squad low on numbers, carrying passengers who are always injured is a real problem. So it's Option 2 for me, all day long. Of course, we'd have to find a buyer. And he'd have to agree to move. Both of which are unlikely. So we're stuck with him for one more year, earning money for nothing. I imagine he's "good in the dressing room" though and, as a vast amount of experience is likely to leave in the summer, perhaps that will count for something. Not much but something. And, as I say, I'd personally much rather have someone who's actually available to play and contribute on the pitch, not commentating on "Pravda" TV.

You could literally pick Manning up and put him down at any club, anywhere in the country, and he would say the same things. Compare and contrast to the previous bloke who took a genuine interest in the area and the club. The difference couldn't be more stark. Or more dispiriting. Good results will help Manning, obviously, but if I try to imagine a really successful season under him, I get the feeling it would still somehow be a joyless experience - certainly compared to some previous managers - with victories delivered in a cold, clinical, "don't get too high, don't get too low" manner. And at the end of it all we'd still be none the wiser about who he is or what he's like. But that's enough hypothetical, pigs might fly, nonsense from me today already.

Timon of Athens!

Yep. My fear is the taps have been turned off, we'll see no more of the 30M from last year and this summer we'll only spend what we get from sales. Incomers will be unproven young players who are strangers to the Championship - at the same time as a ton of experience is allowed to leave.

I've come to the conclusion they think it's the players that need changing, not the Coach. So their theory is - buy some new players in the summer and everything will be alright.

Before the Swansea game, Piercy gave Manning the opportunity (in not so many words but it was obvious what he was angling towards) to expand on his "1 bad performance in 20" comment and explain what "good looks like" to him in terms of a performance, because to Manning its obviously not just the result. Answer came there none. Just waffle, buzzwords, pre-programmed phrases, the usual "yeah, no, to be fair" cliches, all delivered in a robotic, personality free manner.

Unless Twine is the second coming of Lionel Messi, I think we all know what sort of performance to expect against teams who will set up to keep it tight and nick a Cardiff style win. We are boring as sh1te, with a boring as sh1te coach, led by incompetent dunces and a disinterested owner. What could possibly go wrong.

Well said.

So it was the tea lady at the HPC? Who would Lansdown a) listen to, and b) believe? Not the tea lady. It doesn't matter that the reasons were bullsh1t - they were the reasons given and who had the opportunity, the motive and the form to concoct those reasons? Tinnion. Tinnion is Iago, pouring poison in Lansdown's ear. Jon Lansdown doesn't know what day of the week it is, never mind have the wherewithal to orchestrate such a thing. So you're the one who needs to wake up methinks.

Ta. Not that it gives anyone any pleasure to spell it out. Top player for us, very flawed behaviour ever since and a prime example of why we're such woeful under achievers - off the pitch, we simply never get it right for long enough. Anyway, I hear Nige is back in town soon - just in time for karaoke night down the Blue Flame. I believe he'll be belting out a version of this after a couple of pints of Cheddar Valley: All the time they want to take your place The back stabbers (back stabbers) (They smilin' in your face) All the time, they want to take your place The back stabbers (back stabbers) All you fellas who have someone and you really care, yeah, yeah Then it's all of you fellas who better beware, yeah, yeah Somebody's out to get your lady A few of your buddies, they sure look shady The blades are long, clenched tight in their fists Aimin' straight at your back And I don't think they'll miss Mind you, I bet our Nige could teach some of those hepcats on the dance floor a thing or two: pic.twitter.com/JPeZDuhPFn Travolta eat yer heart out.

"Assumed". "No evidence". Amongst the reasons we were given for sacking Pearson were: The manager is never here these days - The players are being given too much time off - We want more on the grass coaching of front foot progressive football. And there's only one way you can come to those conclusions - you'd have to spend a lot of your time at the HPC. SL, JL, GM, BT are the people responsible for Pearson's sacking. So unless SL can see from Guernsey what goes on at the HPC every day, unless JL can do so from Bermuda or Feverpitch HQ, who the hell do you think came up with the bullsh1t about Pearson not turning up enough, the players having too much time away from the HPC, not enough "progressive" coaching going on out on the grass? GM being irrelevant. Who? Even Inspector Clouseau could identify the culprit in that line up. What's more, only one of those 4 had motive and opportunity. Not only that but form for it too - Danny Wilson told us so. So you'd have to be a one-eyed dunce not to know who was responsible for pouring poison in Lansdown's ear. Again. It was Tinnion. In the HPC. With a knife.

Is Murphy the new McCrorie?

He's a Watford fan.

Yes he did but he didn't have to accept once the T&Cs were explained to him! I'm glad he did mind.

We aren't the only club that's badly run!

Well that's how I remember the radio interview! Can still hear it now, like it was yesterday. He was cryptic in the extreme and, when pushed, merely said "it's a big city" - leaving the interviewer and listeners none the wiser. Which I found quite funny at the time. I liked him then and I still like him now but, while there may have been interest from our side back then, I think it's true he had bigger and better options than basketcase Bristol City. He was wise to be wary of Lansdown back then and, in hindsight, may regret having said yes to him all these years later.

Steady fella, they've always paid the bills. They're a terrible mix of ego and incompetence but there are far worse owners out there.

Was there ever a squad photo taken during Pearson's time?

Don't be daft, he'll be sold if he carries on like this.

1000%. Which is why he's a Coach not a leader, imo.